So no kids while travelling the world then I guess. You really sound like someone who doesn't travel a lot. Still developing the travel skill
If you really want to *see* anything, you need to be away for more than two weeks. I live in Europe and when I get to see one capital, I'll stay there for at least 4 days to get a decent impression. When I visit a small country, I'll stay a week. For a good impression of a big country or more than one country, I need two weeks. New Zealand was 4 weeks and I still have the feeling I did not see enough. The world is HUGE Steve. Despite everything they may have taught you in school. America is just a spot on the globe. We Euopeans sometimes joke around about those Americans imagining their own country as the center of the world and the biggest thing next to Ghandi.
When I was a student I lived next to a house that housed Americans. Students they were too. Apart from cooking raw pasta with tomatosauce they used drugs and travelled Europe. Some took a week off from their studies and visited Europe in that time. They raced from London to Paris to Madrid and then to Prague and Vienna. Some of them even got near Moscow! All in one week! Do you know what they actually saw? The inside of a bus, bars and the lids of their own eyes.
I'm just saying that if you wanna see a bit of the world, you need to relax and take your time. If you can't afford that, then Google Earth is your next best friend
Pat
PS: I think your remark about Erin's apparent 'limiting belief' might be a bit near sighted. Not a thing I expected from you. I hope you'll be careful with a woman's feelings...